The latest on the Russia–Ukraine crisis, March 18. Click here for updates from March 17. Putin Tells Scholz That Kyiv Is Stalling Peace Talks With Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during a phone call on Friday that Kyiv was attempting to stall peace talks with Russia but that Moscow was still keen to continue negotiations. “It was noted that the Kyiv regime is attempting in every possible way to delay the negotiation process, putting forward more and more unrealistic proposals,” the Kremlin said in a readout of the call. “Nonetheless the Russian side is ready to continue searching for a solution in line with its well-known principled approaches.” Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a ceasefire in Ukraine during his phone call with Putin, a German government spokesperson said. In their nearly hour-long conversation, Scholz also stressed that the humanitarian situation needed to be …